“You know a dream is like a river
Ever changin' as it flows
And a dreamer's just a vessel
That must follow where it goes
Trying to learn from what's behind you
And never knowing what's in store
Makes each day a constant battle
Just to stay between the shores” (Brooks, 1992)
If I could, I would quote the whole song as it is one that I find expresses the concept of dreams and following ones dreams beautifully it can be found on YouTube. The song utilizes the metaphor of the dreamer being a boat or vessel and the dreams are the water of the river. It states that we do not know what is coming around the next bend and that we need to trust and follow the river where it leads. Garth Brooks suggests, "Choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tide" (Brooks, 1992), to me this means to take risks and try new things. He also sings “There is bound to be rough waters and I know I will take some falls" (Brooks, 1992). While not a traditional source material, I often draw inspiration from music. I draw a parallel between Brook's description of dreams and my concept of creativity. Like the dreamer in the song, we must follow where our creativity leads us, even when we do not know what the end will be. As the dreamer in the song learned from their past, we must be reflective about our creative processes and learn from our process as we go. As we take chances with our Creativity we grow and learn more, creativity of both the small and large C variety require us to take risks of various sizes. Yes, we will fall and things will not work however, these are the things will help us grow the most. Greater learning often takes place where mistakes happen then when success happens right away as trying something that didn't work teaches us both what works and what does not work.
Ever changin' as it flows
And a dreamer's just a vessel
That must follow where it goes
Trying to learn from what's behind you
And never knowing what's in store
Makes each day a constant battle
Just to stay between the shores” (Brooks, 1992)
If I could, I would quote the whole song as it is one that I find expresses the concept of dreams and following ones dreams beautifully it can be found on YouTube. The song utilizes the metaphor of the dreamer being a boat or vessel and the dreams are the water of the river. It states that we do not know what is coming around the next bend and that we need to trust and follow the river where it leads. Garth Brooks suggests, "Choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tide" (Brooks, 1992), to me this means to take risks and try new things. He also sings “There is bound to be rough waters and I know I will take some falls" (Brooks, 1992). While not a traditional source material, I often draw inspiration from music. I draw a parallel between Brook's description of dreams and my concept of creativity. Like the dreamer in the song, we must follow where our creativity leads us, even when we do not know what the end will be. As the dreamer in the song learned from their past, we must be reflective about our creative processes and learn from our process as we go. As we take chances with our Creativity we grow and learn more, creativity of both the small and large C variety require us to take risks of various sizes. Yes, we will fall and things will not work however, these are the things will help us grow the most. Greater learning often takes place where mistakes happen then when success happens right away as trying something that didn't work teaches us both what works and what does not work.